


across a crowded room

by HannahPelham



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: F/M, SUPER CHEESY, fluffy cringey stuff, not great but oh well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:21:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29091948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannahPelham/pseuds/HannahPelham
Summary: Shelagh and the girls are at the pub, and some creep starts trying to chat her up. Patrick, being the gallant gentleman he is, saves her. Modern AU.
Relationships: Bernadette | Shelagh Turner/Patrick Turner
Kudos: 13





	across a crowded room

**Author's Note:**

> this is rushed and Not Good but I was on a roll so here ya go

Shelagh hadn’t realised that this particular night out with her housemates Trixie, Jenny, and Barbara, would be as life-changing as it turned out to be. She wasn’t one to dance, so she happily sat at the bar with a drink and looked after her friends handbags and coats as they got hot and sweaty with their latest squeeze. Shelagh recognised that that was her role in her little hodge-podge found family, and that was absolutely fine by her.

It was fine by her until a drunk man with greasy grey hair sidled up to her, and tried to get her talking. She did her best to ignore him, telling him to go away, and trying to get the bartender’s eye. 

“What’s the matter with ya, darlin’? Frigid? Got a little boyfriend waitin’ for ya somewhere?” The man slurred. Shelagh didn’t know what to do. The door of the pub opened and closed again very quickly, and a man came running over to her. He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek.

“I’ve got you, just pretend” he whispered in her ear. Shelagh smiled brightly at this new man, and the greasy haired man stalked away to the other end of the bar. This new man, who had the kindest face Shelagh thought she’d ever seen, sat down on the next bar stool and quickly ordered a pint. 

“I’m so sorry,” He said, looking into his drink, “I saw him harassing you and I thought I could help”

Shelagh rested a hand on his arm. In truth, she was incredibly grateful. She just hoped the man who had accosted her in the first place made an exit from the pub soon, otherwise this poor saviour of a stranger would have to spend the whole evening with her. 

“Don’t be sorry,” Shelagh replied, sipping her gin, “I’m ever so grateful”

The man looked up at Shelagh and smiled, holding out a hand. She took it, expecting a handshake, and was pleasantly surprised when he raised it to his lips and kissed it gently. 

“In that case, I’m glad I was your knight in shining armour. I’m Patrick”

“Shelagh” 

They smiled at each other for a moment, taking in each other’s features for a moment, before they were interrupted by Trixie running over to Shelagh to get a cigarette. 

“Shelagh, who’s this?” She asked as she rifled through her small handbag for a battered box. 

“Patrick, he saved me from a weirdo” Shelagh replied. Trixie looked Patrick up and down for a moment, and scowled. 

“If you turn out to be anything less than a gentleman, you’re a dead man” She said simply. She turned on her heel to go and find her latest squeeze and have a smoke. Shelagh put her head in her hands and muttered an apology about Trixie, but Patrick took it in his stride. He laughed and sipped his pint. He soon realised that if he was going to have to spend the rest of the evening with her, instead of some work colleagues who hadn’t noticed he’d left them, it really wouldn’t be the end of the world. 

In the end, her evening spent with Patrick ended up being one of the best evenings of Shelagh’s life. Patrick was funny, clever, and the more Shelagh looked at him, the more handsome he became. 

Patrick couldn’t take his eyes off Shelagh. She was small and delicate and beautiful and her honey blonde hair framed her face like an angel. He’d wondered if he’d ever fall in love again after the death of his wife, and he now thought that if he ever did, it would probably be with Shelagh. 

Shelagh couldn’t say no when Patrick offered to walk her home, walking a few paces behind her drunk housemates. Jenny was on the arm of her ‘friend’ Alec, Barbara was arm in arm with Trixie, who was definitely a bit worse for wear, and Shelagh felt like a strangely proud mum as she walked back with her hand tucked into Patrick’s elbow. 

Shelagh made sure the girls were safely inside the house before she said goodbye to Patrick. 

“Thank you for walking me home, and thank you for, well, thank you for looking after me this evening Patrick” She said quietly, suddenly feeling more nervous than she had all evening. 

“It was my pleasure” Patrick replied, “besides, I got to spend the evening in the company of the most beautiful woman in London”

Shelagh felt herself blush, and she looked down at her shoes to hide it. When she looked up, it was seconds before she felt Patrick’s lips on hers. Shelagh was sure it was the most perfect thing to happen to her. They said goodbye, both suddenly bashful and nervous and feeling like a teenager with their first love. Shelagh watched from the doorway as Patrick strolled down the street, turning once to wave to her, before he dipped down a side street towards his own house. 

It was only when Shelagh woke the next morning that she realised she didn’t have his phone number. She’d had the most perfect evening with the most perfect man and he’d walked her home and kissed her and she didn’t have his bloody phone number. 

All week, all Shelagh could think about was Patrick, and how the hell she could run into him again. As it was, it wasn’t that hard. 

Saturday came around again, and once again Shelagh was in the pub with the girls. She made sure to sit at the same seat at the bar, and she couldn’t hide the smile when she saw Patrick walk in. She wondered whether she should wave or something, but she needn’t have worried. The moment he saw her, he walked straight over to her and kissed her. 

“I can’t stop thinking about you” he whispered between kisses. 

“I can’t stop thinking about you either” she replied. They reluctantly pulled apart, ordering drinks, and retreated to a quiet table in the corner. When it came time to go home, Patrick walked Shelagh home again. This time, though, he was invited in. 

It was three saturdays later, in that pub, at that table, where Patrick told Shelagh he loved her for the first time. 

It was 8 months later, in that pub, at that table, where Patrick proposed to Shelagh. She said yes.


End file.
